More funding and alternative site needed before helipad development can be reconsidered at Luton and Dunstable Hospital

A helipad could be built at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, but not “in the short- to medium-term” and not without fresh capital investment, a meeting heard.

A fundraising project began in 2016, only to be paused five years later, with much of the money diverted elsewhere or returned to groups and individuals who donated, Luton Borough Council’s scrutiny health and social care review group was told.

The appeal was well supported by schools, mosques and other organisations in the local community, according to a report to councillors.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive David Carter described it as “deeply disappointing”, saying: “We were awarded around £17m capital for the redevelopment of the emergency department.

“As part of that work, more invasive testing was done on the infrastructure around where the helipad would go. The original assumption that the horizontal connections would be strong enough was questioned by an independent report we received.

“It concluded three wards would need decanting if we were to proceed and some strengthening work would be required. That isn’t a feasible option. This site is really the only place where we can put it currently.

“If we build in different parts of the hospital eventually, there might be a possibility to accommodate a helipad. The air ambulances will continue to operate using a (nearby) school field, with an ambulance transporting a patient to the emergency department.

“The majority of the funding was donated by the county air ambulance’s HELP appeal, which has been returned to the charity. We received around £460,000 from the community or through local groups and about £100,000 of that has been allocated to other funds in the trust.”

Labour Farley councillor Mahmood Hussain, who revealed previously his life was saved when he needed an air ambulance after a heart attack, led calls for an explanation why the helipad development was cancelled.

“The community was very enthusiastic and gave generously,” he recalled. “This is most important for life-saving.

“Will this site have any reality of an air ambulance based there like some other hospitals? It’s a personal issue for me. I would hope this would be something you prioritise.”

Mr Carter replied: “The Luton and Dunstable is a difficult site because it’s constrained, with certain restrictions on where it potentially could go.

“Part of the site borders where pylons are positioned and there are technical restrictions. We don’t have funding, although if we were to build a new ward block we’d reconsider it.

“This remains an objective for the organisation. But it wouldn’t be fair to continue fundraising unless we had a cast iron way of delivering it, which we don’t. It’s difficult to see how we achieve that in the short- to medium-term.

“It remains relatively small numbers of people transported through that route, although they’re in a time sensitive situation where speed is of the essence.”

Asked about the leftover money, he explained: “It would be inappropriate to keep those funds without a viable scheme.”

Liberal Democrat Stopsley councillor Richard Underwood, who chairs the review group, said it “shares your disappointment”.